Circuit-controller.



No. 722,301. PATBNTED'M-AR. 10z 190s.

J. s. HOBSON. CIRCUIT CUNTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30, 1902.

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J. S. HOBSON. y CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

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No. 722,301. PATENTBD MAR. 10, 1903.

J. S. HOBSON. CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30. 1902.

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CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30`, 1902.

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WTNESSES.' f 70h 5. Hobson l I By l A M M? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.IOHN S. HOBSON, OF EDGEVVOOD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH it SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SVISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- CIRCUIT-CONTROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,801, dated March 10, 1903. Application filed July 30,1902. Serial No. 117,677. No model.)

To 1r/Z7, whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. HOBSON, of Edgewood, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Circuit-Controllers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to circuit-controllers, and especially to that type which is employed to control the circuits of devices used for railway switches and signals.

I will describe a circuit-controller embodying my invention and then point out the novel features thereof in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a circuit-controller embodying my invention, the cover of a casing therefor being removed. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in vertical transverse section, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and partly in elevation. Fig. 3 is a top plan view, certain parts being broken away. Fig. 4 is a section, the plane of section being at right angles to Fig. 2, the casing and cover being removed. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a circuit-controller einbodying my invention and the circuits controlled thereby when operated by a semaphore. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of a cam embodying my invention. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the connections and points of contact of the circuit-controller.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings, 2 designates a box, here shown as being cylindrical, in which the circuit-controller mechanism is placed.y It is provided with a suitable cover '3, which may be hinged, as shown at 4, to the box. The cover is also suitably provided with adjustable fastenings and a suitable gasket 5, by means of which dirt and foreign matter are excluded from the box.

6 designates a stud centrally arranged in the box 2, and 7 a disk carried by the stud and, as here shown, integral with the stud. The disk 7 is provided on one of its faces and at its peripheral portion with a number of teeth or serrations 8, which are preferably radially arranged. The stud 6 is mounted in a suitable bearing provided in the bottom of the box, and it has iixed to it a lever-arm 13,

constituting an operating connection which is'adapted to be connected with any suitable mechanism which will give it motion-as, for example, a movable part comprised in either a switch or signal mechanism.

9 and 10 designate cams. There may be only one of such cams, or there may be more than two, the number of the cams depending upon the number of the circuits to be controlled or the work required. Each cam is provided with a tooth or teeth 12, which engage with the teeth or serrations 8 of the disk 7, and it is held on the disk 7 and from any relative movement thereon by means of its teeth and a screw 11. It will therefore be seen that each cam is adjustable upon the disk, and means are provided for locking lthe cam in its adjusted position relatively to the arm 13 and relatively to any other cam or cams. As shown in the drawings, the ends of the two cams overlap, and both cams are secured to the disk 7 by means of a single screw 11. A single screw may also be employed for securing a greater number of cams. The operating-surface 9a of each cam is at its periphery, and inclines 9b are provided at each end of the said surface.

14 and 15 designate a pair of pins, here shown as being oppositely arranged. Each pin is secured to the box 2, and each pin serves as a vfulcrum or pivot for a rocking part carrying arms or springs which are moved into and out of contact with terminal points or surfaces included in a circuit or circuits. Obviously there may be any number of pins and rocking parts, according to the number of circuits to be controlled or other work required of the controller.

16 and 17 designate two rocking parts, which for convenience may be termed rockers. The rocker 16 is fulcrumed on the pin 14, and the rocker 17 is fulcrumed on the pin 15. A pair of rollers 18 18a are mounted in the rocker 16, and a similar pair 19 19a are mounted in the rocker 17. To the rocker 16 are secured the metallic arms or springs 2O 2l, which are electrically insulated, as shown, from the rocker and from each other, but electrically connected to binding-pos ts 22 and 23 by strips or connections 24 25. The rocker IOC 17 is similarly provided with metallic arms or springs 26 and 27, which are insulated from the rocker and from each other and are electrically connected by strips or connections 28 29 to binding-posts 30 and 3l. The binding-posts 22, 23, 30, and 3l are insulated from their supporting-brackets 32 and 33, and these brackets are insulated from the box, as shown in Fig. 4. The bracket 32 is provided with fixed surfaces or points 34, 35, and 36, which are included in a circuit or circuits, the surface or point 35 being common to both of the arms or springs 20 and 21. The other bracket 33 is provided with similar iixed surfaces or points 37, 38, and 39, which are included in a circuit or circuits, the surface or point 38 being common to both of the arms or springs 26 and 27.

The operation of the device is as follows: The arm 13, which may derive its motion from any suitable mechanism common in devices to which I have described this instrument as being capable of use, is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrow. This causes the cam 9, which is normally in such position relatively to its rocker as to have one of the arms or springs in contact with the common fixed surface or point, to rotate by reason of the movement of the stud and the engagement of its tooth 12 with the teeth 8 of the disk 7. As the cam 9 passes out of engagement with the roller 18fL its inclined surface strikes the roller 18 of the rocker 16, and the arms or springs 20 and 21 are caused to move. The arm or spring 20 moves from the fixed surface or point 34 to the iixed contact 35, and the spring 2l moves from the iixed surface or point 35 to the fixed surface or point 36. In the form of device herein described the continued movement of the arm 13 causes the cam 10 to leave the roller 19 and strike the roller 19n and move the rockerarm 17, thereby shifting the arms or springs 26 and 27. The arm or spring 26 is moved from the xed surface or point 37 to the fixed surface or point 38, and the arm or spring 27 is moved from the fixed surface or point 28 to the surface or point The two cams may be so adjusted as to operate simultaneously. In some cases it would only be necessary to employ one cam, while in other casesmore than two cams would be needed. These changes in the position of the arms or springs may effect either the control of one or two circuits independently of one or two other circuits or cause the reversal of the direction of current from two electrical generators or reverse the current from one electrical generator and control two independent circuits as well, according to the work required of the mechanism. The two cams may be so adjusted as to operate simultaneously. In some cases it would only be necessary to employ one cam, while in other cases more than two cams would be necessary to accomplish the work.

Fig. 5 shows the application of the circuitcontroller to a case where it is necessary that the cams have a ixed relation to each other and when the stroke required and the circuits to be controlled are known. In this figure, which is diagrammatic, the circuit-controller is used in connection with the operating mechanism of a railway semaphore signal apparatus provided with home and distant signal-arms and electrical circuits employed in connection therewith. a is a manuallyoperated signal apparatus having home and distant semaphore signal-arms, the home signal-arm b governing the entrance of trains to block C. Jfis a lever through the medium of which the signal-arm Z) is pulled to a position which may indicate clear when so permitted by an electric clutch 7L, and a train thus permitted to enter the block C. The leverfis here shown in its reverse position and coinciding with the reverse or clear position of the signal-arm Z9; but signal-arm l) is shown in its normal or danger position, because a train is supposed to have passed signal apparatus ct into block C, and thereby to have thrown signal-arm b to danger through the medium of the track-circuit and the clutch h, operated thereby. A connecting-rod g is shown connected at its upper end to the signal-arm b of signal apparatus 0. and at its lower end to the arm or lever 13 of the circuit-controller. The track-battery m has its terminals electrically connected to the rails of block-section C' through the medium of track-wire connections n and n and the arms or springs 26 and 27, which are respectively in electrical contact therewith in such manner that when the lever 13 is in its normal position, as shown, the circuit from battery m iiows through the rails of section C in a given predetermined direction; but when the signal-arm b is lowered to its reverse or clear position, indicating track-section C to be clear, the lever 13 at the same time (through the medium of rod g) is lowered to its corresponding reverse position, and the arms or springs 26 and 27 are thereby made to change their relative positions of contact with the track connections n and n', and Consequently the current from track-battery m is made to flow through the rails of section Cl in a direction the reverse of that maintained when the signal-arm b was in its danger position. Furthermore, with each and every movement of the signal-arm l) from normal to reverse, and vice versa, the direction of the current from the battery m through the rails of section C is reversed, and by each reversal of the direction of said current a movement is imparted to the polarized armature p of the relay r. These successive movements df the polarized armature p alternately close and open a circuit s at a point of contactj, which forms part of the circuit s, and thus controls the movements of signal-arm cl',serving as adistant signal through the medium of the local or signal battery il and the motor o. Thus when the home sig- IOO IOS

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nal-arm l) of block-section C is in its normal or danger position,as shown,the current from batterymiiows through the circuit-controller and thence to the rails in such direction that the resulting polarity of the relay-magnet r will cause the polarized armature p' to open the circuit s at the point of contact j, thus depriving the motor fu of electrical energy and allowing the distant signal-arm cl to assume position indicating caution, which it will do in the manner common to other railroad-signals by reason of the gravitation force of its counterweight. On the other hand, as soon as the signal-arm b is pulled into its reverse or clear position the direction of the current from track-battery m through the rails will be reversed through the medium of the circuit-controller, and the polarized armature p of relay r/ is thereby caused to close the circuit s at the point of contactj,

` and thus allow current from t to flow through the motor u, thereby bringing the signal-arm d into the clear position, provided the signalarm 79' is also clear, and the circuitcontroller operated thereby consequently closed.

In addition to performing the above-described operation the circuit-controller embodying my invention is made to open and close the circuit s, as shown, an additional pair of arms or springs being provided, only one of Which, however, is shown as being used. The arm or spring alternately opens and closes the circuit s at the point of contact 34 with each movement of the signal-arm l) from danger to clear, and vice versa, the point of contact Si of the spring 2O being closed when signal-arm b is clear, thus allowing current to iiow through the electric clutch h" and permitting the signal-arm d to be cleared. -When, however, the signal-arm l) is at danger, as shown, the point of contact 3i remains open, and the clutch-circuit s being thereby broken the distant signalarm d cannot be cleared. It will be seen, therefore, that each rocker and the arms or springs carried thereby in connection with the points or surfaces with which the arms or springs coact constitute means for con-A trolling a circuit or circuits, and each of such means is independent of any other similar means. That each independent means may be operated from a common mechanism deriving motion from an extraneous source of power and through a part or parts adjustable and comprised in the said mechanism each independent circuit meansmay be operated independently in any order simultaneously or in different combinations. The movements given to the arms or springs are positive, and

the range of operation of the device is readily provided for by simple adjusting mechanism where it is necessary to employ it, or if the amount of movement required and conditions regarding the circuit are known the operating mechanism for shifting or moving the arms or springs need not be made adjustable. The operating-lever may be so placed as to work right or left and may project from either side of the box or casing, thereby providing for all positions of the box with respect to the device by which it is operated.

It is obvious that the form and arrangement of parts may be varied and that the number of arms or springs on the brackets 14 and 15 may be changed by the skilled electrician without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as my invention is l. In a circuit-controller, the combination of means for controlling a circuit comprising a movable part, a disk and means by which it may be rotated, teeth or serrations provided on said disk and a cam adj ustably mounted on the disk, engaging the teeth or serrations to operate the movable part comprised in the circuit-controlling means.

2. In a circuit-controller, the combination of means for controlling a circuit comprising a movable part, a disk and means by which it may be rotated, radially-arranged teeth or serrations provided on said disk, and a cam secured to the disk and having a tooth for engagemcnt with the teeth on the disk for operating the movable part in the circuit-controlling means. p

3. In a circuit-controller, the combination of means for'controlling a circuit comprising a rocking part, a disk provided with a number of radially-arranged teeth or serrations, means for rotating it from an extraneous mechanism and a cam adjustably carried by said disk and adapted to engage with the rocking part.

4. In a circuit-controller, the combination of independent circuit-controlling means comprisin g 'arms and rockers which carry said arms, a disk and an operating connection, adjustable cams arranged on said disk for engaging rockers, and means for locking the cams in fixed relation to each other and to said operating connection.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN S. I-IOBSON.

Witnesses:

Guo. E. ORUsE, WV. L. MCDANIEL.

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